Osteoporosis, a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, is a common condition around the world. One in 3 women and one in 5 men are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture which is estimated to occur every three seconds.

The good news is there are many steps that can be taken to prevent and help osteoporosis. It is now a treatable condition with a combination of appropriate nutrition and lifestyle changes.

It is always best to eat fresh, organic and unprocessed foods for overall good health. Talk with your doctor and ask for recommendations for your specific needs before making any dietary changes or taking any supplements.

Staying Physically Active
Exercising if you have osteoporosis means finding the safest, most enjoyable activities for you given your overall health and amount of bone loss. There’s no one-size-fits-all prescription.

NEGATIVE BONE INFLUENCES:
• Sodium (increases calcium excretion through the urine) – no more than 2,300 mg / day
• Smoking and excessive alcohol use (no more than one drink per day)
• Stress should be minimized

GUIDANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

THE FOLLOWING MODALITIES CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE STRONG BONES:
Many times people know what to do yet still fail to follow through. With the right Guidance and Accountability led by a practitioner, privately or in a group – you can receive the warm feeling of friendship, closeness and loyalty that makes your health transformation not only fun but rewarding.

For most of her life, Mary said she felt like a “human doing.” She was constantly striving for greater satisfaction by doing more. The pace of her life was rapid fire and relentless. Now, recognizing that stress was taking its toll, she was looking for relief.

Most everyone wants more in life – more happiness, satisfaction, love, and success. But is it possible to have success without being overwhelmed? The answer is YES, however to avoid burnout, we must be at our best.

How to Become Your Best Self

I recall a provocative statement made by a teacher in 1974. He said that there’s something missing in most people’s lives. The good news was that the missing element is inside us. Explore and nurture it, and everything will get better, he promised.

He was right on. My life significantly improved when I acted on his proclamation. He said that we didn’t have to change our behaviors or beliefs, we just needed to develop our potential for success. The approach that he promoted was meditation.

Although I knew little about meditation, it made sense. If our nervous system is depleted by overwhelm and stress, our ability to perform will be compromised. Also, everything that we achieve will be colored by the tension that we’re experiencing. This should not be the price that we pay for success.

While the stress response hijacks the brain, the teacher explained that the deep rest experienced during meditation heals it. The practice of Effortless Meditation allows our mind to settle down, becoming quieter and quieter, and bringing a level of healing rest to the central nervous system and its control tower – the brain.

People routinely report after beginning an Effortless Meditation practice that they are happier, sleeping better, and thinking more clearly. They’re less anxious and all aspects of their health improve – mental, physical, and emotional. One man said that since starting a daily meditation practice, he was falling in love with life again. A woman was delighted because her brain fog was lifting and her memory improving after just a two weeks.

A Key

A key to being our best self is to bring balance into our lives. Adding two short periods of Effortless Meditation™ each day is a formula to do just that. The practice restores energy, vitality, and well-being.

This is an inside job. Start by healing your nervous system and brain. It can be an effortless and enjoyable process. A daily meditation practice is one simple step that will set in motion a cascade of positive changes. In short order, subtle and powerful benefits will be showing up in your life.

Most everyone would like more happiness. As a young man, I like most others looked for happiness through achievement, and was I disappointed! For starters, graduating from college and getting married brought no lasting satisfaction.

Fortunately, in my mid-twenties, I met a wise teacher who told me that there’s a deeper truth to finding joy. His teachings changed the direction of my life.

It’s all inside – be quiet.

He said the nature or essence of life is bliss. (Bliss is unbounded joy or happiness, i.e. big joy.) And, by cleansing our nervous systems of stress through meditation, we could reclaim the reservoir of well-being and joy that exists inside us.

This bold declaration motivated me to take his meditation course, and ultimately become a meditation teacher. That was over 40 years ago. After just my first meditation, I was calmer, more at ease. I continued to meditate every day, growing in happiness and inner peace. This good feeling was not due to anything changing in my world other than my daily meditation practice. I hadn’t won the lottery or gotten a fabulous raise in salary. Now, I was just happy. To my surprise, smiling and laughter was coming easily.

Similar experiences come for everyone through Effortless Meditation™ practice. Recently, a couple who expressed concerns about the tension in their marriage, noticed after only a few days of meditation practice that they were more patient with each other. They also realized that they were sleeping better and happier for no apparent reason.

THAT’S IT! Happiness doesn’t need a reason to exist in your life. Happiness is a state of being. It’s our birthright.

Isn’t this obvious in our children? My four-year old granddaughter is delight personified. She doesn’t need anything to make her joyful, her happiness just is. She’s excited by life – a silly expression, a new idea, a song, jumping up and down, almost anything brings a twinkle to her eye, laughter, and enthusiasm. She exudes joy; she can’t contain it. It bubbles out of her. Wouldn’t you like to have more of that in your life?

It’s not only possible; you deserve it. In Guardians of Being: Spiritual Teachings from Our Dogs and Cats, author Eckhart Tolle states that “true happiness is found in simple, seemingly unremarkable things.” Such as your dog running playfully through a meadow, or your child wiggling with excitement. “But to be aware of these little quiet things, (says Tolle), we need to be quiet inside. A high degree of alertness is required. Be still. Look. Listen. Be present.”

Cultivating happiness and inner peace

How do you achieve this inner alertness and quietness? It’s really easier that you think. To cultivate it, learn to meditate, or do some yoga, stop talking and just listen, or walk mindfully through a forest. Another exercise: observe your surroundings as you stroll silently without trying to get anywhere. Each of these will all quiet your chattering conscious thinking mind.

The deep truth is that beyond the sounds and stirrings of nature and beyond your thoughts, there is something greater, a sacredness that cannot be understood through thought. This is a reservoir of energy, joy, and inner peace. It is available to you. Just learn to quiet your mind and be still.

If you make one or more of these suggestions a regular practice, inner stillness and peace will begin to show up in your daily experience. It won’t be long till you find a level of serenity and happiness in your daily life that you never imagined.

The holidays are here and for many of us it is a time of celebration and stress. For example, the holidays bring up memories of my deceased parents who I miss dearly. They loved the holidays and provided me with my first tastes of Christmas magic. My mother lived a long, full life and passed away suddenly the week before Christmas.

Many share bittersweet experiences and stress at the holidays. Perhaps your family is still intact, but your relationship with them is less that you would like. At the holidays, we often nostalgically remember the good times in the past and regret the situation as it is today. For others, holidays remind us of economic uncertainties. Job security and unemployment are issues that haunt many. For those trying to lose weight or battling an addiction, the holidays can present an especially challenging time. For others, the winter climate in the Northeast can throw us off center. As the daylight hours shorten, seasonal affective disorder brings on moods of sadness.

A few tips to lighten the holidays

First, take stock of the situation. What is in your control and what is not?

If you get depressed in the cold cloudy days of winter, you can’t change the weather however you could buy a “light box”. Light therapy can help.

If you’re concerned about your weight or addictions ramping up over the holidays, find a support group or friend with whom you can discuss your concerns.

Enroll in a cooking class and learn how to make tasty healthy treats vs. high calorie low nutrient fare.

As for the family, having realistic expectations of their behavior always helps to keep us grounded during reunions.

Most importantly, practice self-care. If possible, spend some time outdoors – in the sunlight would be ideal. Go for walks, exercise, meditate, eat nutrient dense food, and meet with people who bring joy to your life. Laughter is great medicine anytime of the year. And take a few conscious breaths when you are feeling overwhelmed. Finally, there is nothing more important for our health than regular periods of rest. Do not short change sleep in order to do more.

I teach a mental technique that will be help – Effortless Meditation™. Meditation practice will do wonders to ward off stress and lighten your spirits at any time of the year. It brings balance into your life.

The world community was shattered again, in a big way, by tragic acts of violence in Europe and around the globe. Fear and sadness abounds and the voice inside us wants to understand. We yearn for peace.

Yesterday, I listened to analysts talking about terrorist groups and some of the ways in which they become radicalized. There’s a lot of understanding about the making of a terrorist. What’s missing is creative solutions to grow peace.

Being the Solution

Did you know that there’s a statement in the UN Charter that says war begins in the mind?

Under chronic pressure and stress, and who isn’t, the fight or flight response rules. Fuzzy thinking and overwhelm dominate the lives of far too many. As a coping strategy, we start labeling people familiar to us as US and others as THEM. We divide ourselves. This divisive thinking is based in the ego’s quest for safety and the desire to be known. It’s the breeding ground of mistrust and hostility.

Without corrective action, we grow in frustration, anger, and resentment. Are we helping the cause of peace when we are holding these emotions and stress inside? I think not. If you’re not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. Is this what you want for your life, for your world?

The good news is there is wisdom from ancient cultures that can help us. They’ve told us how to create peace and live a healthy life. The key is to quiet the mind. A quiet or still mind does not see differences, it just sees what is. It doesn’t judge itself or others.

Us vs. Them thinking drops away when the mind is still, quiet. There is nothing to fear. Fortunately today, there’s a growing understanding of the need for bringing peace to our turbulent minds.

The other day I was reading about one such initiative, the work of the David Lynch Foundation. They have funded the teaching of children in at-risk schools the practice of Transcendental Meditation®. The daily meditation periods are referred to as “quiet time.” Over a couple years, the schools implementing the quiet time programs are transformed. Kids excel and the school environment blossoms. Both parents and administrators are thrilled with the impact of quiet time in the school day.

Make a practice of quieting your mind and you’ll experience your relationships becoming more harmonious. The practice of quieting the mind cultures more tender qualities of the heart. With a quiet mind, we become better listeners, more attentive and receptive. And a quiet mind brings peace to the body, manifesting as better physical health. Bring enough minds to silence and over time, our outer environments transform as is happening in schools, prisons and other environments implementing meditation quiet time programs. There is an antidote for hostility and stress and it’s easy to implement.

Steps to take now

Peace also begins in the mind, and it starts with each one of us. Here’s several things you can do to create a peaceful world.

Spend some time each day quieting your mind. Use meditation, prayer, yoga, painting, just do something to quiet the mind. Try it; you have nothing to lose and much to gain.

During your day, look for similarities among people. We are far more similar than different.

Reach out and smile. It’s contagious.

At the end of each day, list four things that you were grateful for that day.

Meditation can help bring our lives under control when we are under stress. Under chronic stress and relentless pressure, the fight or flight response is activated. You can see it everywhere. Drive thru a yellow light today and probably 3 cars are following behind. Look to your right or left, drivers are on cell phones. Most of us know that studies have proven that multi-tasking while driving at high speeds is fraught with unnecessary risk and danger. Why do we live this way? Is our priority to live fast or to live well?We need to heal our brains if we want a better quality of life. A healthy brain creates a solid foundation for life. So, how do we create a healthy brain?

The ancient traditions say the way to heal the brain is with:

Stillness

Daily experience of a quiet mind, if only for minutes

A meditation practice doesn’t have to be connected to a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle, but the restful alertness it produces can reduce stress, anxiety, and develop inner peace. This restful alertness means that while the body is gaining deep rest and inner peace, the mind experiences quieter and quieter levels of thought. This can lead to a strong immune system that in turn will lower not only the risk of allergy suffering, but many other unwanted conditions.

Daily meditation practice benefits include:

Deep healing and rejuvenating zest

Release of stress and fatigue, more energy

Lower blood pressure

Relief from anxiety and depression

Improved memory, creativity and focus

Relief from headaches and pain

Stronger immune system, less illness and better sleep

Better moods and increased happiness

Mental clarity and peace of mind

Enhanced self-esteem and emotional stability

The message of well−being through training to heal the brain and mind with meditation, is resonating with people everywhere.

Join our Effortless Meditation™ class that is offered 4 times each month at Twin Ponds Integrative Health Center in Breinigsville, PA.. Call 610-395–3355 for more information.

Now that we are in the change of season, it’s a good time to take advantage of the wisdom of our ancestors. Ayurveda, the world’s oldest system of natural medicine, gives us insights that can help us deal with change. Effortless Meditation also a powerful practice to accomplish this.

We are in Kapha season (think Spring). The foundational elements of Kapha dosha, earth and water, are heavy (e.g. mixing earth and water makes mud). And during the Kapha season, Kapha more easily accumulates.

By nature, Kapha dosha or energy is dense, heavy, steady, and slow. A virtue of Kapha is dependability and strength; however, if Kapha is over-abundant in your life as it tends to get in Kapha season, this can lead to lethargy, dullness, clinging, possessiveness, an unwillingness to let go, even weight gain. To balance the heavy influences of this Kapha season, do the things that will bring lightness to your life.

Some remedies or antidotes for an imbalance of Kapha dosha or energy are:
• Stimulation from regular exercise and movement
• Enjoying a variety of experiences to help balance the Kapha’s tendency to resist change
• Learning to meditate that helps lighten up heaviness

When in excess, the heavy Kapha influence can lead to depression. Regular meditation is a great help. It will bring lightness and joy to the mind. Effortless Meditation™ makes meditation totally “effortless.” It can be done any place you can sit comfortably and close your eyes – even in an airport.

The above principles apply to all of us; however, they are particularly relevant to those who have a Kapha body type which already has an abundance of Kapha influencing their life. In this Kapha season, these folks are especially vulnerable to the heavy influences of Kapha dosha /energy. So, remember to lighten up in order to balance the forces of nature in this “heavy” season.

New research, funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), found that people with heart disease who regularly meditate may be able to reduce their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke nearly by half.

For the study, which was published in the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease patients were enrolled in a stress-reducing program based on Transcendental Meditation (compareEffortless Meditation™). The participants were required to meditate for about 20 minutes twice a day, practicing specific techniques that allowed their bodies and minds to experience a sense of deep rest and relaxation.

Meditation has been practiced in various forms for thousands of years all around the globe. Transcendental Meditation / Effortless Meditation are simple, effortless and natural ways to settle down to a quiet state of mind.

Benefits may be::

Tranquility and inner peace

Awareness

Calmness & emotional balance

Helps with treatment of medical conditions (those aggravated by stress and anxiety)

Lowered blood pressure (an important role in the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disease)

“Those who meditate can choose among a wide range of practices, both religious and secular,” said Dr. Charles L. Raison, clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, who participated in a study on the healing effects of meditation on both body and mind. “What they have in common is a narrowing of focus that shuts out the external world, which usually [also] stills the body.”

Effortless Meditation does not require any particular education and does not conflict with lifestyle, philosophy or beliefs. It’s a straight forward technique that is easily learned and effortless to practice. Everyone can do it.

Greg Schweitzer, MBA, D.Ay, has been teaching meditation programs for 35+ years and has trained with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation program. He taught TM® for 17 years and worked with best-selling author, Deepak Chopra, M.D. For the past 20 years, Greg has been teaching his brand of meditation known as Effortless Meditation™.

Would you like to have more joy in your life? Who wouldn’t? The expansion of happiness is a major goal of life, if not “the” goal of life. So why is it elusive for so many even in this holiday season? Answer – we’re looking for joy in the wrong places. We’re looking for it outside of ourselves. Is your joy dependent upon your relationships, the money that you make, or the place that you live. If you are dependent upon these externals of life for happiness, there will always be huge swings in your state of mind. If however, your mind is grounded in peace and joy, you’ll find joy everywhere. Happiness is an inside job. Start the work by dissolving the stress in your nervous system. How do you do that? It’s not rocket science, you could try this. Eat healthier food to bring more nourishment to all the cells of your body including your brain. Get regular exercise. Surround yourself with positive people who inspire you. Quiet your mind and deepen your spiritual connection with Effortless Meditation. A recent meditation client said that he was more patient, more often after just two weeks of meditation practice. There’s more happiness in our lives when we “practice” sitting in silence with our eyes closed in meditation. Well-being becomes our baseline experience with repeated exposure to it during our meditation. There will be more balance in your life. Whatever appeals to you, a key word is practice. Wayne Muller, in his very important book, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives, said that we need a “rhythm of rest” in our busy lives. I encourage my meditation clients to do it daily, ideally twice a day. Just 10-15-20 minutes at a sitting will strengthen your nervous system by reducing stress and recharge your batteries for the day ahead. This will bring greater balance and joy to your life. Philosopher William Campbell had it right when he encouraged us to follow our bliss. The good news is that bliss and peace is inside you, and it’s waiting to be unlocked and lived.

Many experts are now recognizing that sleep is as important to a healthy life, if not more so, than exercise or the food that we eat. And yet we live in a world where many squeeze more and more into their day while minimizing the value of a good night’s rest.

Discounting the importance of sleep is one aspect of the problem, denial is sweet. Another equally disturbing trend is that many find it difficult to get good quality sleep even though they make the time for it. Lying in bed with your eyes open feeling anxious about not sleeping is stressful, to say the least.

The good news is that there are many lifestyle factors that can be addressed to turn this around. And the solutions differ based upon the habits of the person suffering with the problem. For some, excess stimulation (e.g. violent TV shows) before going to bed is an issue. For others, irregular sleep hours are a contributor. Food and/or beverage consumption may be a problem for others. Stress reduction, however, plays a key role for almost everyone.

Stress and worry excite our mind. Despite the fatigue in the body, our mind and brain under stress does not fall asleep easily or stay asleep. You’d have to be living under a rock to not recognize that the world is in a state of chronic stress. Releasing the pressure of a stress filled day is key to better sleep.

A particularly valuable tool to quiet the mind and reduce stress and worry is meditation. With the practice of Effortless Meditation™, we directly experience and know calm and mental stillness. When we establish the platform of deep relaxation and stillness in our lives, we can more effectively address other actions that will further promote a healthy night’s rest.

Many possibilities open up for us when our mind is still. Bring your brain and mind to stillness every day and better sleep will come more effortlessly.

Greg Schweitzer, a meditation teacher for more than 35 years, teaches at Twin Ponds Center Integrative Health Center in Breinigsville, PA.